Reading room and researcher space

The library has a peaceful, 70-seater reading room and reference library, the materials of which are available for use on the Library premises only. The researcher space seats 10; seats are allocated based on applications every six months.

Researcher spaces

The researcher seats are provided primarily for researchers who require the Library of Parliament collections and the materials of the Archive of Parliament for their research. A researcher seat is allocated based on application for six months at a time for a researcher taking part in postgraduate studies at a higher education institution.

The researcher seats are applied for twice a year in May and November. To apply, please fill out a form, which is available during the application period at Customer Services or which can be printed out from the library's website. Applications are not accepted outside the application period. The researcher seats are allocated at the discretion of the Library Director.

​Conditions of Use of the Researchers´ room

1 §

Places in the Researchers' room are intended for researchers whose work involves parliamentary affairs, jurisprudence or society. A researcher is a person who takes part in postgraduate studies at a higher education institution and whose work requires extensive use of the collections or archives material in the Library of Parliament.

2 §

Application forms Application for a researcher's place is made with a form designed for this purpose. During the application period, forms are available at the Library's reference and archival services desk and on the Library's Web site. Once completed, the application form can be delivered to the Parliament’s registry or sent by e-mail to kirjaamo@eduskunta.fi.

Application period Applications for researcher's places can be filed twice a year, during a two-week period in November and in May. Information on the application times is given on the notice board of the Library of Parliament and on the Library's Web site. Applications sent after the deadline will not be processed.

Selection The right to use a researcher's place is granted for a period of six months. Priority is given to applicants who have had a researcher's place for less than four periods. Two or more researchers can be granted a joint researcher's place. Whenever needed, researcher's places can be reserved for Parliament's own use.

If the number of applicants exceeds the number of researcher's places available, a waiting list is drawn up.

The decision on the distribution of researcher's places is made by the Director of the Library of Parliament. All applicants are informed of the decision by e-mail or by regular mail, using the addresses given on the form.

Maximum time An individual researcher can be granted a researcher's place for a maximum of six periods of six months.

3 §

The researcher receives keys to the researcher room at the beginning of the six-month period. At that point, the researcher must prove his/her identity and must sign an agreement form concerning the use of the place.

If the researcher no longer needs the seat, they must inform the library without delay. Agreement on giving up the place is made at the same time.

At the end of the six-month period, the researcher returns the keys to the researcher room to the library. The library provides a receipt to the researcher to prove that the seat has been given up.

4 §

The Researchers' room can be used during the opening hours of the Library of Parliament. The door to the Researchers' room must be kept locked. No outsiders are allowed in the Researchers' room.

It is hoped that, upon request, researchers can present their work at events arranged by the Library. Presenting the research is separately agreed upon with the library. Presentation of work is voluntary.

5 §

All Library of Parliament material used in the Researchers' room must be borrowed at the reference and archival services desk. Borrowed material can stay at the researcher's place, but not in a locked cabinet.

Reference material in the reading room and original archives material may be taken to the Researchers' room temporarily. The material must be returned during the same day.

6 §

The right to use a Researcher's place may be revoked if the place is used only rarely or if the researcher does not comply with the Library of Parliament's Conditions of use and the Researchers' room's Conditions of use.

7 §

These researcher room regulations, confirmed by the Board of Directors of the Library of Parliament on 6 March 2019, enter into force on 6 March 2019. These regulations replace the researcher room regulations confirmed by the Board of Directors of the Library of Parliament on 15 December 2004.